Tom Cruise’s latest film has delivered one of the biggest surprises of the year at the box office. The actor’s drama Digger opened to just $8 million in North America, falling well below industry expectations and creating a major setback for Warner Bros.
The film debuted in about 3,300 theaters across the United States and Canada. Before release, the studio had expected an opening weekend between $12 million and $15 million. Earlier tracking estimates had suggested the movie could start closer to $30 million, but audience interest weakened in the days leading up to its release.
The disappointing debut makes Digger one of the weakest openings of Cruise’s career. Industry observers note that it marks his lowest opening performance since the 2007 drama Lions for Lambs, which launched with $6.7 million but carried a much smaller budget.
The film also collected around $12 million from international markets, bringing its early worldwide total to approximately $20 million.
Financial concerns have quickly become a major talking point. The production reportedly cost about $125 million, though some reports have suggested the budget may have climbed significantly higher during development. Studio representatives have disputed claims that costs reached nearly $180 million.
Regardless of the final figure, analysts believe the film faces a difficult path to profitability after such a slow start.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Digger represented a major creative departure for Cruise. The actor transformed himself into a balding and overweight oil executive who discovers that his actions helped trigger a devastating natural disaster.
The film was widely viewed as an ambitious project aimed at attracting awards attention and generating discussion among critics and moviegoers.
However, early reactions have been mixed.
Audience response proved particularly challenging. The movie received a C+ CinemaScore, one of the lowest audience grades of Cruise’s long career. Critical reviews have also been divided, with the film holding a 51 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The combination of weak audience enthusiasm and mixed critical reception has raised doubts about the movie’s long-term prospects.
Despite the disappointing results, Cruise publicly expressed support for the project. The actor shared a message on social media during the weekend, saying he remained proud of the work that had gone into making the film.
While Digger struggled, another literary adaptation found success at the box office.
Amazon MGM Studios claimed the top position with Verity, based on the bestselling novel by Colleen Hoover. The thriller earned $32.6 million from more than 3,500 North American theaters during its opening weekend.
The film stars Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett. Produced on an estimated budget of $40 million, the movie delivered a strong start and attracted a largely female audience.
According to industry data, women accounted for nearly four out of every five ticket buyers. The largest group of moviegoers fell between the ages of 25 and 34.
Among recent adaptations of Hoover’s novels, Verity opened below the level reached by It Ends With Us but comfortably exceeded the openings of Regretting You and Reminders of Him.
Even with its strong ticket sales, Verity faced its own challenges with critics and audiences. The movie received a C+ CinemaScore and earned a 34 percent score from reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
Elsewhere at the box office, Sony’s Resident Evil continued its successful run. In its third weekend, the film added $12.5 million and lifted its domestic total to nearly $125 million.
Paramount’s Heart of the Beast remained competitive in its second weekend. The survival drama starring Brad Pitt earned another $11 million, pushing its North American total above $38 million.
A24’s Primetime also continued to attract audiences. The thriller added $8 million during its second weekend and reached roughly $34 million domestically.
Despite the poor performance of Digger, the overall box office remained healthy. Industry estimates indicate that movie theaters generated around $100 million in domestic ticket sales over the weekend. That figure represents a noticeable increase compared with the same period last year.
As for Cruise, his brief return to dramatic storytelling appears unlikely to last long. The actor is expected to shift back toward the action-focused projects that have defined much of his recent career, with production on Days of Thunder 2 expected to begin soon. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. faces questions about how one of its most ambitious releases of the year turned into a costly box office disappointment.
